Corning Fire Chief: 10-year Smoke Detector Batteries a ‘No-Brainer’

A new state law will require smoke detectors sold in the state to have 10-year, non-removable batteries starting in 2017 — but local fire officials say there’s no reason to wait that long.

“It’s a great insurance policy,” said Corning Fire Chief Brad Davies. “It seems to me to be a no-brainer.”

The new law, signed Monday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will prohibit the sale of detectors with traditional, replaceable batteries as of Jan. 1, 2017. States including California and Maryland already have similar requirements.

A standard replaceable-battery smoke detector averages about $10-25 at area retailers. The 10-year versions cost around $18-50, depending on brand and the features of the device.

While the new devices are more expensive, manufacturers say consumers will save money over the life of the device because they won’t have to purchase new batteries.

The long-life batteries make it difficult for an occupant to disable the device when it’s activated by cooking, cigarette smoke or a drained battery. And residents will no longer have to remember to change the battery every six months, according to the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York.

“We’ve seen time and time again that working smoke alarms can be the difference between life and death,” said FASNY President Robert McConville.

Davies said a program by the Corning Fire Department a few years ago, in partnership with the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, allowed them to install free smoke detectors in homes around the city.

“We actually installed more than 300 smoke detectors in the Corning area,” he said. “Those smoke detectors had the 10-year battery in them. We installed those a few years ago and we haven’t got any complaints.”

A program is also currently being offered by the Finger Lakes American Red Cross that provides installation of new 10-year smoke detectors along with home fire safety education.

Applications for the program are available at the Corning Fire Department, Davies said, as well as by calling the Red Cross office in Corning at 936-3766.

Judy Coleman of the Red Cross said the five-year Home Fire Campaign has been going on since 2014, and they’ve installed detectors at more than 200 homes in the region.

Anyone is eligible for the program, Coleman said. In addition to installing new detectors, they’ll also check existing devices to ensure they’re working.

“What we’re aiming to do is reduce injuries and fire deaths by 25 percent in five years,” she said.

Coleman said the Red Cross is in need of volunteers to help with the program. The necessary training is provided, and anyone who is interested should call the Corning office.

The state bill’s sponsor, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, D-Rochester, said a working smoke detector can mean the difference between life and death.

“Unfortunately, the data clearly demonstrates that the majority of fire-related deaths transpire in homes without working smoke alarms or no alarms at all,” Morelle said. “They are without question the most important safety device a person can have in their home.”

Davies said a lack of working smoke detectors is a common factor in fires they see in the city.

“A large number of our fires that we find in the city of Corning, we don’t find a working smoke detector in that dwelling,” he said.